What are $Extend\$Deleted file system entries and how do I get rid of them?

Solution 1:

I ran into the $Extend\$Deleted folder as well and have been combing the web for information. I'm not entirely satisfied with this answer, but here is what I found:

• While $Extend has been around for a long time, $Deleted appears to be a relatively new addition, appearing in Windows 10 for client OS'es, unsure about server.
• Files appear in $Deleted when they have an open handle but a request has been made to delete them.
• It appears that this can be related to an issue with an older version of Cygwin whereby Cygwin causes files to appear in $Deleted but never get actually removed.
• At least one individual was able to remove the $Deleted files by booting to Windows, normally it seems these files should be cleared out upon reboot (since all handles will be released).
• But it probably isn't restricted only to Cygwin, it appears this implementation is part of Windows POSIX support.